title: Differential T- and B-cell responses to pertussis in acellular vaccine-primed versus whole-cell vaccine-primed children 2 years after preschool acellular booster vaccination.
abstract: This study investigated long-term cellular and humoral immunity against pertussis after booster vaccination of 4-year-old children who had been vaccinated at 2, 3, 4, and 11 months of age with either whole-cell pertussis (wP) or acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine. Immune responses were evaluated until 2 years after the preschool booster aP vaccination. In a cross-sectional study (registered trial no. ISRCTN65428640), blood samples were taken from wP- and aP-primed children prebooster and 1 month and 2 years postbooster. Pertussis vaccine antigen-specific IgG levels, antibody avidities, and IgG subclasses, as well as T-cell cytokine levels, were measured by fluorescent bead-based multiplex immunoassays. The numbers of pertussis-specific memory B cells and gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-producing T cells were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assays. Even 2 years after booster vaccination, memory B cells were still present and higher levels of pertussis-specific antibodies than prebooster were found in aP-primed children and, to a lesser degree, also in wP-primed children. The antibodies consisted mainly of the IgG1 subclass but also showed an increased IgG4 portion, primarily in the aP-primed children. The antibody avidity indices for pertussis toxin and pertactin in aP-primed children were already high prebooster and remained stable at 2 years, whereas those in wP-primed children increased. All measured prebooster T-cell responses in aP-primed children were already high and remained at similar levels or even decreased during the 2 years after booster vaccination, whereas those in wP-primed children increased. Since the Dutch wP vaccine has been replaced by aP vaccines, the induction of B-cell and T-cell memory immune responses has been enhanced, but antibody levels still wane after five aP vaccinations. Based on these long-term immune responses, the Dutch pertussis vaccination schedule can be optimized, and we discuss here several options.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease and Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rose-Minke
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Schure
authors.forename: Lotte H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Hendrikx
authors.forename: Lia G H
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: de Rond
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oztürk
authors.forename: Elisabeth A M
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Guy A M
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Berbers
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Buisman
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary / Q000379:methods*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D022282:Vaccines, Acellular / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D016207:Cytokines; D010567:Pertussis Vaccine; D022282:Vaccines, Acellular; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated